News & Events

Adam Braskich Comments on Racial Disparity of Baltimore Policing in The Baltimore Sun

"Arrests for minor crimes spur resentment in some Baltimore neighborhoods"

The Baltimore Sun

08.23.15Adam Braskich commented on the racial disparity in policing neighborhoods in Baltimore, following the death of Freddie Gray. Braskich, a former Baltimore police officer, recalls a constant pressure to clear people from corners where drug-dealing often occurred and said officers resorted to creative measures, making arrests on charges such as loitering, disorderly conduct and trespassing, even though the legal elements of the crime were not always present. He added that officers knew that the tactics disproportionately affected African-Americans because the most aggressive policing occurred in poor neighborhoods where crime rates were the highest. "By and large, Baltimore police officers don't enjoy pushing people around and making petty arrests. If they felt less pressure to clear corners and generate stats, especially in poor, high-crime neighborhoods, then they could focus on more constructive police work," he said.